How to do an Easy Fishtail Braid

I’ve had requests from people asking how to do a fishtail braid, which is actually a lot easier than it looks. So I thought I would share this with everyone to let you know it’s really not as scary as it looks. Anyone can do it, I promise! Ok, I take that back…I guess you wouldn’t be able to do this braid if your hair was two inches long, but you get what I mean!

A fishtail braid is a bit of a twist on the more traditional braid, and is something that’s definitely in style right now. It’s called “fish tail” because it mimics the look of just that…a fishes backbone/tail. It gives you an effortless, easy breezy vibe, boho chic look, or can even be paired with cocktail attire as a way to do a pulled back ‘do. The beauty of it is that it’s playfully messy, so it’s okay if it’s not perfect. In fact, it actually looks better if it’s not. Here’s a Celebrity inspiration picture.

Dianna Agron from Glee rocks a pretty fishtail braid.

Here’s a close up of this braid….

Ok, not going to lie — the method of this braid is A LOT easier than it looks, but it also takes a bit of practice to get the handling of the hair down. I’m right handed, so for me it’s easiest to braid over my right shoulder. I mention a lot of tips and tricks in my video as I’m braiding, so if you have time you should watch the whole thing to answer any questions you may have. If you need a quicker “how-to,” then feel free to fast-forward a bit…won’t hurt my feelings!

I also took slightly bigger chunks of hair when braiding for time sake (the bigger the chunks, the faster the braid), but you do see more of a “fishtail effect” if you take about half the size of the hair chunks to braid (also taking double the amount of time).

Doing a solo braid to one side is a quick way to get a fun hairstyle, and now that you’ve learned the method from my video feel free to get even more creative with fishtail braids! Like this!

Singer Aubrey O'Day does a boho chic look with a fishtail braid and tossled down 'do.

Kim Kardashian uses fishtail braids to update pig tails.

I would love to see your variation of a fishtail braid. Send me a pic or tweet it to me @mystyletrials!